Guilty plea in case of Senate page killing

One of two men suspected in the fatal shooting of a Senate page in 2010 has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder to avoid the death penalty.

Maricopa County prosecutors say 18-year-old Marion Anthony Patterson III entered his plea today and will be sentenced on April 10. He faces between 10 and 25 years in prison.

Patterson and Louis Harper, 21, originally were charged with capital first-degree murder and armed robbery in the killing of Zachary Marco on Oct. 17, 2010.

Harper’s trial is scheduled to begin in January 2013. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Authorities say the 21-year-old Marco, an Arizona State University honor student, was gunned down as he was walking home. Police believe Marco was killed for his cell phone and laptop computer. He later died at a Tempe hospital.

Tempe police detectives recovered Marco’s computer bag and say they found fingerprints from both suspects.